Ceramic tile support



July 15, 1952 F. E. OWEN CERAMIC TILE SUPPORT Filed Feb. 1, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

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ATTOQNEYQ Patented July 15, 1952 =1 STATES PATENT CERAMIC TILE SUPPORT Y FrederickE. Owen, Whittier, Calif. Application February 1, 1951, Serial No 208,945,

5Claims.

This'invention relates to improvements "in ceramic tile supports'or saggarsused'to' carry fin spaced relation, series of ceramic tiles during their firing in a kiln. More particularly, the invention has to do with saggars of the type comprising an upstanding open box-like body, the sides of which are" apertured for the reception of a vertical series of horizontally positioned tile-carrying rods.

My generalobject is to make certain improvements in the saggar structure benefiting not only its utility as a tile carrier, but making possible the formation of the saggar itself with greater facility and in a structural form having various advantages over those heretofore used. The'invention is particularly concerned-with the: manufacture of a'single piece saggar comprising integrally formedbase, upstanding sides and an interconnecting top member or section, and the construction of its parts, with particular reference to the apertures in the sides, to serve the several purposes of making possible the formation of the entire saggar in a single simple molding operation, providing for the venting of gases through the sides during firing of the supported tiles, and maintenance of ratio of the weight of the saggar to the weight of its tile load.

In accordance with the invention, the sides are provided with spaced vertical rows of rodreceiving openings, each of which is formed in the saggar moulding operation by a plug or projection giving to the opening an outward flare extending to the outer surface of the side, thus permitting withdrawal of the mold part from the formed opening without requiring any complications in the mold parts and without disturbing the integrated saggar structure. In furtherance of the desirability for venting gases through the sides of the saggar and of effecting a considerable reduction of its weight to a degree consistent with its desirable strength and resistance to warpage over long use, I provide the sides, in the described molding operation, with an open formation between the rod-supporting openings, preferably by means of a series of relatively large vent openings which also have outwardly flared shapes, as and for the particular advantages stated.

As will appear, the invention has various additional features, all of which will be understood fully and explained to best advantage in the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment shown by the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a general view in perspective; p

1 Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line showing the tile saggar I e I 2' 2'of 1 through one of the sidewalls of the-saggar; an M I I f Fig. '3 is a fragmentary enlargement showmg in elevation "a base portion'of the 'saggai' adjacen one of the side walls r.

"Referring first to the general showing of Fig.1,

.10 the saggar is shown to be-m'olded in the form of 'a one-piece body l0 cornpris ing'a base I I, a pair 7 of spaced upstanding and vertical sides l2;*and a top transverse piece [3. Lateral stability may be given-the body by extending the "base at "the 11:5 -flange 'l4;=' 'While it is contemplated that the top transversefinember' may' have any desired width relative to the sides l2, it I may convenientlyfbe :maden'arrower, substantially as 'illustratedf to present less obstruction to the space overlying 2 the tiles carried by the saggar, and to be useable conveniently as a handle for carrying the saggar. Each of the sides l2 contains two parallel vertical rows R of openings l5 alined in horizontal pairs to receive rods IS on which the tiles 25 I! are placed for-heating and setting of their glaze in a high temperature kiln. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the wall l8 of each opening I5 is tapered from the outer surface I9 of the side I 2 to its inner surface 20, the rod l6 thus being supported at the inner edge of the opening adjacent the inside surface 20.

Each side I2 is given an open formation, in addition to the presence of the openingsl5, by molding into and through the wall a series of openings 22 of substantially larger size than the openings l5 and positioned in a row centrally and vertically between the rod-receiving opening rows R. As in the case of openings [5, the ventilation openings 22 have their sides 23 exsurfaces of the wall I2. By reason of the presence of the openings 22, volatiles released from the tile glaze during the course of firing, are permitted escape through the side walls of the saggar, as well as from between the tiles through the open sides of the saggar. Also, as previously indicated, the presence'of the series of openings 22 serves to reduce advantageously the weight 50 of the saggar and its tendency toward warpage.

As will be understood, in the operation of molding the saggar as a single ceramic body, openings l5 and 22 may be formed by inserted and correspondingly shaped mold parts or plugs, which may be withdrawn at the conclusion of the molding operation, along with the other mold tending convergently from the outer to the inner l. A tile saggar comprising a single piece molded ceramic body including a base, a pair: of upstanding sides and a top section interconnecting the sides, said sides each containing parallel yer-- tically extending rows of rod-receivingopenings and containing between said rows a ventopening, the wall surfaces of all of said openings being flared outwardly to the. outer surfaces of said sides, I

2. A tile saggar comprising a :single 'piece molded ceramic body including a base, a pair of upstanding sides and a topsectioninterconnecting the sides, said sides each containing parallel vertically extendingrowsof rod-receiving openings and containing between saidrows a'vertical Series of relatively larger vent openings; the wall surfaces of all of said openings beingflared outwardly to the outer surfaces of said sides.

3. A tile sagga-rcomprising a Single'piece molded ceramic body including a base, a pair of upstanding sides anda top section interconnecting the sides, said sides each containing parallel openinggthe wall surfaces; of all of said openings being' -flared outwardly to the outer surfaces: of

.vertically extending rows of rod-receiving open- 35 ,ings and; containing between said rows a :vent

4 said sides, and the width of said top section being less than that portion of the width of the sides occupied by and between said rod-receiving openings.

4. A tile saggar comprising a single piece molded ceramic body including a base, a pair of upstanding sides and a top section interconnecting the sides, said sides each containing parallel vertically extending rows of rod-receiving openingsj and containing between said rows 9. vertical series of relatively larger vent openings, the wall surfaces of all of said openings being flared outwardly to the outer surfaces of said sides, and the width of said top section being less than that portion of the width of the sides occupied by and between said rod-receiving openings.

5. A, tile saggar comprising a single piece molded ceramic body including a base, a pair of upstanding sides and a top section interconnecting the sides, said sides each containing parallel vertically extending rows of rod-receiving openings and containing between said rows a vent opening, the wall surfaces of all of said openings being flared outwardly to the outer surfaces of said sides, and said base having on its topsurface a plurality of tile supporting ribs below the lowermost of said rod-receiving'openings;

1 FREDERICK E. OWEN.

REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 1,778,561 .McCoy Oct-14, 1930 1,885,691 Dessler Nov. 1, 1932 1,914,957 Bebb June 20, 1933 

